Updated SA-Made Vehicle Engine Over-Temperature Sensor

Two years ago we featured a South African invention that was aimed at preventing engine problems due to overheating, at a price the average vehicle owner can afford.

After having an engine blow from a previous car and being lucky enough that it was still under warranty, Travis Duck designed and built a solution to prevent the problem occurring again. The unit has seen much enthusiasm from users and in the time since then, has been developed further. As Duck explains: "The main request was for it to come in a box, so I redesigned and made a casing for the system as well as making it easier to install."

This unit works by providing an audible alarm to warn the driver when the engine is overheating. Duck explains that OEM sensors and visual warnings on most cars are not fast acting enough, nor do they have any audible warning system built into them. To make matters worse, a lot of current model cars do not have a temperature gauge at all, only a red light which comes on when it is too late to save the engine.

The new alarm system directly measures the temperature of the head at cooling water exit. Most OEM systems measure radiator water temperature via a plastic fitting (poor thermal conductor); if a radiator hose bursts there is no water to conduct temperature to the sensor. This means the driver will not necessarily see the indicated gauge temperature rise. Things now start costing a lot of money very quickly (30 – 60 seconds).